This blog features observations from Randy Turner, a former teacher, newspaper reporter and editor. Send news items or comments to rturner229@hotmail.com

Monday, December 03, 2012

Here we go again; Kraus files bill requiring voter photo ID

It's the first day to pre-file bills in the Missouri legislature and once again, unwanted and unneeded laws tackling problems that do not exist appear to be headed our way.

SB 27, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee's Summit, requires photo ID for voters. The summary of the bill reads as follows:

The act establishes identification requirements for voting. Voters shall produce a nonexpired Missouri driver's license; a nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver's license; any identification containing a photograph issued by the Missouri National Guard, the United States armed forces, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or a document issued by the United States or the state of Missouri containing the name of the voter which substantially conforms to the most recent signature in the individual's voter registration records, a photograph, and an expiration date or if expired, the expiration is after the date of the most recent general election.Those appearing without identification who are unable to obtain one because of a physical or mental disability, an inability to pay for a document necessary to obtain the required identification, a religious belief against forms of identification or the voter was born before January 1, 1941, shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot, provided the election authority can verify the identity of the individual by comparing the individual's signature to the signature on file with the election authority.
All voters whose identity cannot be established are allowed to cast a provisional ballot which shall not be counted unless the voter returns and provides proper identification.
All costs incurred by the election authority associated with implementing the new identification requirements shall be reimbursed from the general revenue upon appropriation.
The election authority shall provide advance notice of the identification requirements to be included in the election authority's elections notices.
The state shall provide at least one form of identification required to vote at no cost to the voter.
The act requires that provisional ballots be available for all elections except for absentee voting.
This act is contingent on the passage of a constitutional amendment establishing voter photo identification for elections.
This act is similar to SB 1014 (2006), SB 523 (2009), HB 1966 (2010), HCS#2/SB 3 (2011), SCS/HB 1104 (2012), and SCS/SB 442 (2012).

About Me

I am a former teacher in the Joplin and Diamond, Missouri, school districts. Before entering the teaching field, I spent 22 years as a reporter and editor for various Southwest Missouri newspapers. I have published three novels, Small Town News, Devil's Messenger, and No Child Left Alive, and seven non-fiction books, The Turner Report, Newspaper Days, Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud, Greed, Corruption, and the Joplin Tornado, 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado, Scars from the Tornado and Let Teachers Teach.

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